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Thursday, August 4, 2016

History proves that resettling others in Kurdish land will not work

It is a policy used by dictators over the centuries: settling outsiders in areas where one ethnic group has a clear majority.

The Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein did it, and so did his neighbour Hafez
al-Assad in Syria. And now the Turkish president Erdogan has decided to
use the tool. And all employed it against their Kurdish minorities.

During his rule, Saddam offered Arabs from the south of Iraq all kinds
of incentives to move to the disputed oil city of Kirkuk that the Kurds
consider as their Jerusalem.

The prospect of a good job, with a good salary and a house attracted
many, while at the same time Kurds were evicted from the city.

Assad also was able to send thousands from his Arab population to the
Kurdish region, like Saddam did next door, in order to further
marginalize the Kurds through Arabization.Read on...

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Stay for the best result

Iraq gets under your skin. It is a country that is constantly changing. A place with a shortage of energy and water, but plenty of hospitality. Because of the many trauma's and scars, every step forward can be considered a victory. That is why it creeps under your skin - and you will stay, for the best result.

About me

I am a Dutch journalist working in Iraqi Kurdistan since 2008, a correspondent for Dutch and Belgian media (amongst others) and an author of 6 books, of which two have been translated into Kurdish. I set up the Independent Media Centre in Kurdistan which I lead till the end of 2012.